Background and Objective

Breast implants surgery has a major social, scientific and economic impact. Recently there have been some controversies regarding the texture of the implants and their relation with certain complications as well as with the guarantees of the implants.

A survey was carried out among Spanish plastic surgeons to know their opinion on certain aspects related to breast implants: types, complications, guarantees.

Methods

The questionnaires were sent online during the first half of November 2016 to 760 surgeons, all of them members of the Spanish Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (SECPRE).

Results

There were 216 answers. There was no significant difference in the type of implants used, with the anatomic slightly more frequent in use. American brands Allergan® and Mentor® dominate the market share in this segment, both for anatomical prostheses (60%) and round (50%). Thirty per cent of respondents had recently changed brands. As for the warranty offered by the manufacturers, most surgeons are satisfied with it (68%), although most think it should be lifelong (56.9%) and that the patient is misinformed about it. The results also show a great distrust of the professional against the objectivity of the manufacturer when they have to evaluate the implant to determine if the guarantee is applicable.

Conclusions

There is a predominance of use of anatomical prostheses compared to round among surgeons who have answered the survey. However, it seems that a group has changed their preference for fear of problems like double capsule, seroma and even anaplasic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). Regarding the guarantee, it is perceived as a benefit for the patient although it should last throughout her life. Information about these programs is considered poor. In general there is a great distrust among the respondents in relation to the analysis that the own manufacturers do on the prostheses broken.

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